The Center has 5 core laboratories, which help integrate research and provide services required by all the investigators. These cores reduce redundancy between labs and provide services not all the individual labs routinely perform.

Click on the Name of any Core Laboratory for More Information on that Core.

Directed by Dr. Jon Oatley, this core integrates the projects by organizing seminars and the annual retreat. The Administrative Core oversees all fiscal management of the program and cores, and facilitates university and agency interactions. This core provides general administrative services, in particular the interactions both in regards to budgets and services of the other cores.

Directed by Dr. Jim Pru, the services provided by this core include a wide range of hormone assays in a variety of sample types including serum, plasma, culture media, and fecal samples. Solvent extraction of steroids from different sample types is provided if needed. Services also encompass assays for hormone receptors, as well as help in new assay development and training for individuals interested in working on assay development for their laboratory.

Directed by Gary Thorgaard and Ken Cain, the aquaculture core insures proper and consistent handling and rearing of the animals among the projects. The aquaculture core is composed of two parts. One component of the core is housed at Washington State University. This facility is composed of a number of recirculating systems and supports small-scale laboratory experiments. Specialized clonal and monosex rainbow trout populations are available through this core. The oversight for this part of the aquaculture core is provided by Gary Thorgaard, who can be contacted regarding use. The second component is at the University of Idaho's Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) and includes fish facilities on the UI campus as well as those in Hagerman, Idaho. The University of Idaho core facilities can provide either recirculating and/or flow through systems aimed at both short-term and long-term experiments. Those interested in conducting studies at the UI facilites should contact Ken Cain.

The Washington State University Transgenic Services Core is supported by the School of Molecular Biosciences, the Center for Reproductive Biology, and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Funds for the development of the Core were provided by a generous grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Foundation. The Transgenic Services Core is dedicated to assisting researchers and technicians in the production, preservation and maintenance of transgenic and gene targeted mice for specific research needs. We also serve as a source of knowledge, experience, and instruction in the many uses of genetically modified mice in biomedical research.

The Transgenic Services Core is a fee-for-service operation that provides services to all WSU investigators as well as outside institutions and investigators. Members of the Center for Reproductive Biology receive a 50% discount on all services.

Co-Directed by Michael Griswold and Derek Pouchnik, these Cores provide DNA sequencing, protein sequencing, oligonucleotide synthesis, peptide synthesis, and some information services to members of the Center for Reproductive Biology. A state of the art core laboratory providing all genomics micro-array technology equipment including access to an Affymetrix Micro-Array apparatus and data analysis system, as well as a custom array apparatus for glass slide array of investigator initiated arrays. The Core has the bio-informatics support for the procedures performed and assists the investigators in data analysis. Technical support is provided to perform the analysis on the Affymetrix chips and in the production of the custom arrays.